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There's no indication we're at or past a point of no return that would mean the end of civilization.
by noselasd 6y ago
There's no indication we're at or past a point of no return that would mean the end of civilization.
- tonyedgecombe 6y agoOnce demand for food exceeds supply all bets are off. It's hard to see how we can keep growing enough with 3 or 4 degrees of warming.
- bryanlarsen 6y agoWarmer temperatures and higher CO2 levels are great for plants. The world is fully capable of growing all necessary food inside greenhouses if necessary, all it would take would be spending 25% of GDP on food rather than 10% as we do now. There will certainly be starving people in the future, but that will be a failure of capitalism not lack of capability.
- tonyedgecombe 6y agoall it would take would be spending 25% of GDP on food rather than 10% as we do now I don't know, I've grown quite sceptical about what technology can achieve against this problem. I'm pretty sure increasing food spending to 25% of GDP would involve a massive societal shift. Whatever way you look at it we are in for a lot of pain.
- bryanlarsen 6y agoGreenhouses have been around for 200 years. And yes, it is a big shift with lots of pain. A massive increase in food prices would be required, which would result in riots across the third world. Easier and cheaper to spend a trillion or five to halt the increase in carbon emissions.
- tonyedgecombe 6y agoWe don't grow staples in greenhouses.
- bryanlarsen 6y agoBut we could if absolutely necessary. They'll have to do it on Mars, for instance.